26 Mar 04
Sleep came to me eventually. Colorado was left behind in the darkness. Rumours of a Mormon-imposed ban on alcohol awaiting us in Utah sent a wave of terror through the 'funsters' en route to America's hippy Mecca. But a natural buzz woke us up at dawn. Past the murky windows a panoramic marvel appeared with the new day. Huge pillars of sandstone rose from the desert floor to the pale sky. Brian put on some mellow music, but hallowed silence would have been a more appropriate welcome to Arches National Park. Yawns and stretches mingled with the gasps that greeted each new rock formation.
The Grey Rabbit bus company was the forerunner of Green Tortoise. Its buses made the coast-to-coast run in four days, stopping only for fuel and food. Interstate highways were its trails. When the Tortoise started up in the seventies, it trebled the Rabbit's journey time; but to woo passengers, it stuck to back roads and searched out remote idylls, like Arches. In short, you got the scenic route. And anyone who's travelled on America's interstates can tell you, a little variation in scenery goes a long way.
The mattresses were a haven. The rest of the bus was ankle deep in muddy clothes, old shoes and beer cans. Then Brian ordered a clear-out and things went missing. "I hate it when people clean the bus," moaned Jennifer the Bus Queen. The pair were complete opposites, although their partnership kept Guan on schedule for San Francisco. Jennifer is in her third year with the Tortoise, Brian his first. "Some drivers cop out after a month," she said. "Most come back. They have nowhere else to go."
